Page 7 of Merciless Angel

He made one last attempt to hand me the flowers. When I wouldn’t take them, he strode off down the hall ahead me, his steps rapid and heavy. I watched him go, wondering what I’d been thinking to allow him to get so close. It had never been love between us. He’d never made the earth move or given me butterflies. He’d been a friend with benefits that turned into something more. Not love though. He’d confirmed that at the party the other night.

I returned to my dorm, glancing over my shoulder the whole way. I wasn’t sure if Zane would follow me. Thankfully, I made it there without issue. After a quick shower, I changed into a bright pink sundress with sparkly purple ankle boots. Some pink eyeshadow made me feel like myself. I knew that my look wasn’t for everyone, but that was just fine. It was for me.

Raina already sat at a corner booth in the restaurant when I arrived. She’d chosen a place known for having the best tacos around. She waved me over and I did my best to plaster a brilliant smile on my face.

“Am I late?” I asked, sliding into the booth across from her.

“No, I’m early. It’s cool. How was class today?” Raina sipped lemonade from a straw, her inquisitive blue gaze locked on me.

I flipped open the menu on the table before me and gave a halfhearted shrug. “It was class. Nothing special. I had a hard time sitting there while it was so nice outside. How was being a crime queen with three hot guys at your beck and call?”

Raina let out a bark of laughter. “You’ve met my guys. Do you really think they’re the type to jump when I tell them to?”

“Okay, probably not Gage. Knight is definitely the type though. He seems like he wants to please.” I’d heard enough about Raina’s guys to know they were not cookie cutter romantics. I’d also seen the bruises left on her body after they’d had their way with her. She seemed to like it though.

A server came over and I ordered two soft tacos with an iced coffee. My stomach had felt flip floppy since seeing Zane after class. Hopefully I could eat.

“Sure, Knight’s a pleaser,” Raina said after the server walked away with our order. “He’s also a freak who loves to make me cry. Anyway, you don’t want to hear about my kinky bedroom antics. How are things with Zane?”

The way she studied me as she asked made me nervous. I hadn’t told her that he’d pushed me or that Blaze had been there. I didn’t want to ruin her good wedding vibes or bring unnecessary attention to myself. It was over. Everything was fine.

“He’s fine, I guess. I haven’t seen him much since the party.” Unable to maintain eye contact, I glanced around the restaurant at the other patrons. The last thing I wanted to talk about was Zane.

“Oh really? Are you two still seeing each other? He seemed pretty pissed about Blaze flirting with you.” She slurped on her straw, her gaze still fixed on me.

“I’m not all that interested in Zane anymore. I don’t think I’ll be seeing him going forward. Our fling has run its course.” I forced a small smile. “You know how it goes.”

I tried to change the subject, asking about married life and what she’d been up to. She let me get away with it until the food came. We’d munched on our tacos for a few minutes before Raina hit me with it.

“Did you forget that we have cameras on the house?” she asked, picking up a piece of taco meat that had fallen on her plate and popping it in her mouth. “Were you planning to never tell me about what happened with Zane? I saw the footage, Clover. I saw him shove you down really hard. The only reason I haven’t had him killed yet is because I’d hoped you’d tell me about it yourself.”

I set my taco down and took a long drink of my iced coffee. Of course she knew about it. Why did there have to be footage?

“I didn’t want to talk about it,” I admitted. “I was hoping to break up with him and have that be the end of it, you know? Please, don’t hurt him. It’s over between us. I already had to beg Blaze not to get involved. I’d like to forget everything and move on.”

Raina nodded knowingly. “I saw Blaze punch Zane. As much as I hate that guy, I was hoping he’d finish Zane off and save me the trouble. I always knew Zane was bad news. Are you okay, Clover? The truth.”

Was I okay? It was only a shove. Minor really. It could have been so much worse.

“Yeah, I think so. My ass is a little sore but nothing serious.” I stared down at my taco as my appetite shriveled.

Raina paused a moment before saying, “You know that’s not what I meant.”

I nodded, forcing myself to meet her piercing gaze. “I’m fine. Really. Zane showed me who he really is. Now I’m trying to move on. I swear. I’m all good.”

Raina’s lips curved into an uncertain frown, like she didn’t quite believe me. “All right. If you’re sure. If you change your mind about Zane, say the word, and I’ll make sure he’s never seen again.”

She offered me a light laugh but I knew she wasn’t joking. This time Raina changed the subject, lightening the mood with talk about a shelter puppy she was thinking about fostering and how Havoc had melted when he first saw it.

In some ways, I envied Raina. Her ability to be tough no matter what she faced. Her take no shit attitude. I wished I could be more like her in that way. Having three hotties who wanted to make me their world would be nice too. Hell, I’d settle for one. I didn’t know how she kept up with three of them.

By the time I left the restaurant, I was feeling a lot better. My mood had perked up after time with my best friend. She always knew how to make me laugh. I got into my car with my leftovers in a box. I’d probably get my appetite back when I was trying to fall asleep.

Returning to the dorm residence, I felt the sudden weight of someone’s watchful stare. Unable to resist the urge, I looked around, finding the silver Camaro parked near the entrance to the parking lot. Blaze sat in the driver’s seat, his elbow propped in the open window. He was alone.

Was he stalking me? Would he do something like that? A chill crept over me. Looking away before our eyes could meet, I rushed toward the door.

I let myself into the building and decided to take the stairs over the elevator. I counted it as a small workout and a good way to purge the adrenaline in my veins. When I reached my floor and turned down the hallway, my heart leapt into my throat.